Sleeping car curtain



My 16, 1940. J. F. cLARY SLEEPING CAR CURTAIN Filed April 16, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. @Sephff Clary BY Q ffw ATTORNEY.

J. F. CLARY SLEEPING GAR iCURTAIN July 16, 1940.

Filed April 16, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY.

Patented July 16, 1940 I I UNITED STATES SLEEPING OAR CURTAIN Joseph F. Clary, Bala Cynwyd, Pa., assignor to Edward G. Budd Manufacturing Company,

Philadelphia, Pa, a corporation of Pennsyl- Vania Application April 16, 1937, Serial No. 137,177

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in ourtain supports and more particularly to a curtain arrangement for a sleeping berth.

It is the principal object of this invention to 5 provide a curtain for a berth arrangement as in a sleeping car in which the curtain is adapted for use as a safety strap to prevent the accidental lowering of the berth. 1

Another object of the invention is to provide 10 a curtain arrangement for an upper and lower berth construction in which the upper curtain may constitute the support for the lower curtain if the upper berth is in idle position.

A further object of the invention isto provide 1 1.; an improved arrangement for securing the lower curtain in connection with a berth arrangement so that it is more readily attached and maintains a greater degree of privacy in the compartment.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following, description of a preferred form of embodiment ofmy invention when taken in connection with the attached drawings, in which: i 3

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section with parts broken away to show the general berth' arrangement;

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section through a part of a vehicle;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail with parts in section and parts in elevation of the hook arrangement for supporting the upper curtain;

Fig, 4 is an elevation with parts broken away.

tain;

Fig. 6 is a partial transverse vertical section through part of the vehicle body showing the berth in the idle or unoccupied position; and 40 Fig. '7 is an enlarged vertical section with parts in elevation showing the mannenof attachment of the safety strap.

In a co-pending application in which I am one of the co-inventors, such application being filed April 10, 1937, as Serial No. 136,189, a sleeping car section construction has been described in which the upper berth is movable from a normally horizontal lower position for occupancy to a 0 substantially horizontal upper or idle position,

such structure having a plurality of guides or tracks by which this movement may be accomplished. The present invention relates to a curtain arrangement for a section sleeper of that 55 type, it being understood, however, that the arner of attachment of the side edges of the cur- (o1. lea-324.)

rangement is not limited to a sleeping car of the rail car type but may be adaptable to any berth arrangement in which the sleeping quarters are shielded by a detachable curtain. Forthe purpose of disclosing the invention, specific reference is made to the application of the curtains to a sleeping car as of the rail car type.

The sleeping car, which may be indicated generally at |0,is commonly provided with adjustable seats IZ which, as shown in the left por- 10 tion of Fig. 1, are movable into a night-time position as shown in dotted lines to receive the mat tress l3. Above these seats is provided a berth M, such berth being an upper berth and normally held in a position such as shown in Fig. 1 that a passenger is able to lookout of the car body throughthe windows l5 and the upper windows it. Suitable guides or tracks H are provided for this purpose, the particular arrangement of the guides being such that they have a substantial vertical arcuate portion, the arc of which is generated from the center taken on the adjacent bracket. In other words, the wall side of the berth l4 may be first raised in the bracket or guide I! and hooked over the high point I8. Subsequently, the aisle side of berth I4 is raised in bracket l9 and hooked over the high point 20.

In such. upper position, the berth is normally anchored against accidental movement but it is possible that the aisle end would rest on top of the high point 20 on the bracket l9 without the operator being aware of it; Vibration would thus possibly dislocate this end of the upper berth and if it should be moved into the vertical arcuate portion of bracket E9, the berth would fall causing discomfort and inconvenience to the persons sitting in the seats l2.

Normally, a curtain is provided for the upper berth, such curtain being. generally represented at 22 and being normally supported from a longitudinally extending rod 23 by a plurality of hooks 24 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The hooks are preferably attached to the curtain through a perforated bracket 25 to prevent tearing and to present a neat appearance.

The supporting rod 23 is mounted on a bracket 26 spaced from the aisle wall partitions 39 to such an extent that-the hook 24 cannot be accidentally dislocated thus preventing the curtains from falling from their support.

In the nighttime or occupied position, the curtain 22, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, hangs down below the upper berth and is conveniently attached to it by a depending strap 28 which is provided with a button loop 29 secured by the button 30 to the main body of the depending strap 28 after engaging around the berth railing 3|, as shown in Fig. '7. At the same time, a lower curtain 32 is supported from a second railing 33, the curtain being similarly buttoned over the rail as by the button loop 34.

The button loop 34 is so arranged that if the curtains are to be suspended from the support 23 without the supporting advantage of the berth M,

the button loops 34 may be attached to the buttons 30 on the button loop 29 so that there isa direct support of both curtains from the top edge thereof.

In the daytime or idle position, the'berth I4 is raised to the top of the guides l8 and I9 to a position substantially as shown in Fig. 6 and in this case, the curtain 22 is drawn over the top ofthe supporting rod 23 until the hooks 24 engage the button loop 29 over the berth rail 3| as shown in Fig. 7. In this position, the top curtain 22 acts as a safety strap for the upper berth and prevents any dropping of the berth regardless of its anchorage in the slots and the guides l8 and i9. Furthermore, the curtain 22 has a depending portion which entirely shields the edge of the berth M, as shown in Fig. 6, and gives a very satisfactory appearance, as shown in Fig. 1;

The lower curtain 32, besides being supported on its top edge, is also supported on its side edges on the aisle partition surface, generally shown at 38, but being secured to the inner face 39, as shown in Fig. 5, which face is provided with a slotted groove member 40 having a restricted neck portion into which the bound edge of the curtain 32 is projected. The bound edge of the curtain 32 is provided with a spring of coil type or other suitable expansion member 42 which is larger than the restricted slot and when the curtain edge is worked up from the enlarged opening portion 43, the side edges of the curtain will be positively locked to the inside surface 39 of the aisle partitions 38.

In addition, a supplementary flap 45 is provided for the curtain 32 adjacent the arm rests 46 of the car seats to further aid to the privacy of the compartment construction which flap hangs,

cupied, the curtain is directly supported and is attached on its upper and lower edges with the ing member.

lower edges held by buttons so that the curtain Y may be parted for the convenience of the passenger. For single occupancy, the berth M is held in its upper position and the entire curtain arrangement is directly supported from its upper edge with the side edges of the lower curtain firmly anchored to the aisle partitions which makes for an entirely private sleeping compartment. It is, of course, to be understood that the overlapping portions of the curtains in a vertical plane are provided with buttons and button holes or similar attaching means so that the curtains may be opened.

While I have shown a preferred form of embodiment of my invention, I am aware that modifications may bemade thereto and I, therefore, desire a broad interpretation of my invention Within the scope and spirit of the disclosure herein and of the claims appended hereinafter.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a berth capable of being moved to a lower operative position or an idle raised position, a curtain for one side thereof, a rod to support said curtain on one edge and means to attach the opposite edge to the berth,

and means to secure the first mentioned edge to and safety strap means to prevent the accidental lowering of said berth, said safety strap means consisting of said curtain attached at the oppohook adjacent one edge for engaging a fixed rod on the car body and a berth attaching means adjacent the opposite curtain edge, said curtain being of such length that in the upper idle position of the berth, both supporting hook and attaching means may engage the berth, the body of the curtain, in this position, being looped around the rod.

4. In combination with a berth movable from an operative lower position to an idle raised position, a curtain supporting member adjacent thereto, and a curtain supported therefrom, said curtain having means on both edges thereof for attachment to the berth when the latter is in idle raised position, the curtain being then suspended intermediate the edges thereof from the support- JOSEPH F. CLARY. 

